Posted on 13 February 2012 on corneliusnews.net

Cornelius resident Chris Jones has been named Rotary District Governor for the 2012-13 year. A member of the Lake Norman-Huntersville Rotary Club, Mr. Jones was nominated for the position by a committee of past district governors and rotary club presidents, and will begin serving this July.

“I’m very excited, honored and privileged to serve as district governor for next year,” Mr. Jones said.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2012
CHARLOTTE CONVENTION CENTER
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Click here to Register Online!

For several years, the Mecklenburg County Rotary Clubs have gotten together for an annual lunch meeting.  After a three year break from this tradition, Charlotte Rotary re-instated this well received luncheon in 2010.

This year’s luncheon is scheduled for February 14, 2012 and RI President Kalyan Banerjee has just confirmed he is available to deliver the keynote address.  We are very humbled and excited to have the opportunity to host Binota and Kalyan Banerjee.  In light of this special occasion, we are extending an invitation to all Rotarians in District 7680 to attend the luncheon, which will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College Street, Charlotte, NC.

As you would imagine, this is a tremendous and rare opportunity.  We must move quickly to ensure everything is in order and attendance is at a maximum.  Below are details for confirming your attendance.

Logistics

Registration is available through the District Database.  Knowing the Database is a challenge for some of you, please ensure someone in your club is responsible for registering your attendees.  Food is catered and we want to ensure everyone has a seat and something to eat!  This event is not the time for registration errors.  If you have trouble with the process, Sandy Osborne ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Jack Setzer ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) will be happy to register for you.  The cutoff for registration is Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

Registration will begin at 11:45 and the meeting will begin at 12:30.  A plated luncheon will be served (salad, Chicken Picatta {lemon caper sauce, roasted tomato basil and parmesan risotto, sautéed green beans and carrots}, roasted apple crumb tart/chocolate bourbon pecan pie).  The cost with tax, etc is $29.00 per person.

Realizing there are several parking options in uptown Charlotte, for convenience, you may wish to park at the NASCAR Hall of Fame parking deck.   The rate is $5 per car and I would suggest carpooling.

Mecklenburg Club Presidents will be seated at the head table.  Please confirm your representative’s name with Sandy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Clubs are encouraged to bring their club banner for display at the podium and throughout the room.  Remember to bring a stand or whatever is needed to support the flag.

Payment for the luncheon is $29.00 per person.  Checks are to be made payable to Charlotte Rotary and mailed to 841 Baxter Street, Ste 118, Charlotte, NC 28202.  Please do your best to get your check in before the luncheon!

Special Offering

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will offer all Rotary attendees a $15.95 general admission, $14.95 Military/Seniors price on the day of the luncheon.  All the attendee has to do is show your Rotary pin at the box office to receive the special price.

Sandy Osborne is available to answer your questions and can be reached at 704-375-6816 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sponsored and Hosted by the Rotary Club of Charlotte

Friday, February 3, 2012 from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m.
Acquavina
435 S. Tryon St # 180, Charlotte, NC 28202 — Second floor/above The Green

Cost:

$25 per person/guests are welcome Includes: Hors d'oeuvres, Drinks and Charter Program

Attire:

Business Casual Parking: Will be validated for The Green parking deck located on Tryon across from the Knight Theatre & Mint Museum, at the light for Levine Center for the Arts

RSVP by Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Payment can be done in advance or you can bring your payment with you that night.

Credit / Debit Card Payments:

Contact Richard Grimstad via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text40018 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and he will help you process the payment Mail Check Payments to: Rotary Club of Charlotte – Evening, P.O. Box 30121, Charlotte, NC 28230

The meeting time is from 8:45 AM to 12:15 PM.  The Location is Mitchell Community College (Continuing Education Campus) 701 West Front Street Statesville, NC 28677 Come early for coffee and fellowship.

We will have an exciting and informative session.  We will go to break-out sessions at 11:30AM.  As President of your Rotary Club, you will meet with your District Governor Allen Langley from 11:30 AM to Noon; your Presidents-elect will meet with the District Governor Elect Chris Jones.  We will also have a separate session with the other Rotarians.  PDG Lois Crumpler and I will lead that session in the form of questions and answers.

Please encourage your Committee Chairs, the members of your Board of Directors and Rotarians from your clubs who wish to do so to attend this Assembly.

Your attendance will make this Assembly extremely successful.

Please go on the District Database and register. Click on the calendar tab, scroll down to January 28th .and click on register now and follow directions. Please also register those from your club who would like to attend.

PDG Mark Markanda
District 7680 Trainer
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please join Rotarians and friends as we welcome more than 100 WWII Veterans back from their trip to Washington, DC by coming to the airport at approximately 7:30 pm. Honor and thank them with cheers, flag waiving, handshakes and hugs! This welcome back is truly a special part of their trip and will be a special memory for you, as well.

Keep in mind, the youngest veteran is about 86. They are not youngsters...our time is running out to personally thank them for their service to this country. They had a direct effect on the way we are able to live our lives today in freedom.

At a recent breakfast meeting of The Rotary Club of Statesville/Fourth Creek, five members  became Paul Harris Fellows. Edwin Donaldson, Rotary Foundation chair, shown on the right, presented  new pins to all five members.

 Those honored were (l-r) Mac Funderburk, who received his third pin; Evelyn Funderburk, who received her second pin; and Dr. Faye Rucker, Diane Davis, and Dorie Shore, who received their first time pins, along with a certificate and a medallion on a blue and yellow ribbon, colors of Rotary International.

Being recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow is a high honor of recognition for a generous donation to the Rotary Foundation, as well as exceptional service to the club.

Charlotte-South Rotary Club hosted the five members of District 2420 Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team from Istanbul, Turkey, at the club's meeting Monday afternoon. The GSE team, led by Ali Riza Ersoy, arrived at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Saturday night to begin their 32-day stay hosted by Rotary District 7680.

Charlotte-South Rotary Club President Mary Staton will serve as leader to the outbound Charlotte District 7680 team, which leaves for Istanbul, Turkey on May 21.

Launched in 1965, this dynamic program of Rotary International is a unique cultural and vocational exchange for young business professionals between Rotary districts in different countries. Group Study Exchanges promote international understanding and goodwill through person-to-person contact. Teams of four non-Rotarian team members and one Rotarian team leader stay in Rotarians’ homes and meet their professional counterparts during an extensive and rigorous program of international travel, team activities and presentations.

Other clubs throughout the district will be hosting the Turkish team during the next month. Their stay will end following their attendance at the District 7680 annual Conference in Myrtle Beach April 29-May 1.

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The Rotary Club of Davidson celebrated its Charter Event on Thursday, March 3, in the Lilly Gallery on the Davidson College campus.

About 100 Rotarians and guests were in attendance to celebrate the occasion. The Club's President, Natisha Rivera-Patrick welcomed the group with a short talk about "the power of one,” and how Rotarians as a group can make an impact locally and abroad.

District Governor Firoz Peera presented Rivera-Patrick with the official charter along with a $2,000 check from District 7680 to benefit the Davidson Club's service projects. The club’s 27 members were then called forward indivudally and inducted as charter members.

Past District Governor Lois Crumpler gave the keynote talk on “A Rotary Journey,” noting that association with the organization will change the members’ lives personally and professionally through their civic engagement.

Modeling her remarks on the Gettysburg Address, Crumpler said, “Just months ago leaders brought forth in this very town a new Rotary Club, to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and dedicated to the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in that ideal of service.

“The Town of Davidson will little note nor long remember what we say here tonight but it will never forget the service Davidson Rotarians will give to the town and its communities.

“It is now proper for us, the members of the Rotary Club of Davidson and the Rotarians and friends of District 7680 to dedicate our efforts and resolve to increase the number of our projects to balance our efforts in all avenues of service so that this club and its district will exist long into the future and its members will have fun doing so.”

The new Rotary Club of Davidson meets on Tuesday evenings from 5-6 p.m. at Sabi Asian Bistro, 130 Harbour Place Dr., Suite 120. Appetizers and refreshments are provided at a $10 cost. For information contact Courtenay Christian O'Neil at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 704-892-1228 .

District Governor Designate Chris Jones invites fellow Rotarians to join him in traveling to this year's RI convention in New Orleans in style -- on two wheels!

The International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians (IFMR) is organizing a series of motorcycle rides to the convention to raise awareness of and collect donations for Rotary's Polio Plus campaign.

On May 17 in Cherokee, N.C., Chris will be joining a group of riders originating in Albany, N.Y. On May 19 in Baton Rouge they will meet other riders originating in Sacramento, Seattle, and Chicago. All participants will make a grand entrance into New Orleans the following day.

Riders are hoping to raise an average of $1 per mile for the distance they travel, but any amount will be appreciated. Jones' ride will be a total of 666 miles.

The IFMR is a world-wide fellowship of Rotary Club members who enjoy and share the sport of motorcycling, travel and community service across boundaries and borders. It was founded in 1992 by Rotarians in Australia, Canada, Sweden and the United States and now has members and chapters worldwide. IFMR-North America chapter dues are $20 per year.

For more information on the IFMR or the upcoming ride to New Orleans, visit http://ifmr2011neworleans.blogspot.com/ or call Jones at 704-765-1196.

Mayors across west-central North Carolina have declared February 23 as "Rotary Day" in their towns. Their proclamations recognize the founding of this worldwide non-profit community service organization 106 years ago, on February 23, 1905, as well as the good works that members of the 54 Rotary clubs in this area of the state continue to achieve.

Almost thirty mayors throughout Rotary District 7680 declared Rotary Day in their towns during the past week. The signing at the Cleveland County Commissioners meeting was televised and reported in the Cleveland Headline News. Elizabeth Pack, president of Boiling Springs Rotary, read the proclamation during the televised signing ceremony. Rotary clubs in Concord and Kannapolis arranged special ceremonies for presentation of proclamations by their mayors at club meetings. Some clubs are organizing a special night out at local restaurants to celebrate Rotary Day, and several clubs ordered special Rotary birthday cakes to serve at their weekly meetings

At its founding, Rotary was the world's first nonprofit service organization, and is now one of the largest. There are 1.2 million professional and business leaders in Rotary worldwide, all of whom adhere to the organization's motto, "Service Above Self."

Almost 3,000 Rotarians belong to the 54 clubs in Rotary District 7680, providing funding and volunteers for projects both local and international. Locally, many area clubs have contributed funds to the "Flight of Honor" program that flew World War II veterans to Washington to visit the military memorials there. Clubs annually sponsor local high school students to attend a "Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders" at Catawba College. The Concord Rotary Club built a playground accessible to children with disabilities. The Taylorsville club conducts a program that provides backpacks to needy school children and fills them with food every week. Many clubs collect pocket change every week to provide funds for research to cure Alzheimer's Disease. Union County clubs teamed up to provide a dictionary for every third grader in the county.

One of Rotary's most highly touted projects has been its international attempt to eliminate polio. Since the effort was launched in 1985, polio cases have dropped by 99%. Rotary is currently cooperating with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the final push to completely eradicate the disease for good. Rotary has pledged to raise $200 million for the effort, and the Gates Foundation will provide $335 million toward the project.

Rotary also promotes international peace and understanding through the world's largest program of privately funded international scholarships, exchange programs, and peace studies institutes. About 40,000 students from 130 countries have studied abroad since Rotary launched its Ambassadorial Scholars program in 1947, and more than 67,000 young professionals have explored their career fields in other countries through Rotary's Group Study Exchange program. This year's GSE program will send half-dozen non-Rotarian young professionals from this district on a six-week trip to Istanbul, Turkey in May and June. In addition, 8,000 secondary school students each year experience life in another country through Rotary's Youth Exchange program.

The following is a list of towns and counties that have declared February 23rd as "Rotary Day."

Albemarle, Ashe County, Belmont, Cleveland County, Concord, Charlotte, Cornelius, Davidson, Gastonia, Hamlet, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Kings Mountain, Locust, Marshville, Matthews, Mint Hill, Monroe, Mooresville, North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, Salisbury, Shelby, Statesville, Taylorsville, Sparta, Wadesboro, and Waxhaw.

Membership in Rotary is open to all. For a listing of Rotary clubs and contacts, visit the district web site at www.rotary7680.org.

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The focus was on membership growth at the District 7680 Mid-Year Assembly, with distinguished guest speakers, new incentives, and helpful handouts presented to make new member recruitment easier for current members. About 140 members from 46 clubs throughout the district gathered at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte to take stock of the health of the district and set a course of action leading up to the "Bigger Better Bolder" District Conference at the end of April.

District Governor Firoz Peera convened the meeting by urging members to work toward "sustainable membership," a concept which includes recruiting the right people to join, engaging them in meaningful service, paying attention to their ideas, and leading them toward a lifelong commitment.

He pointed out that membership has only grown slightly in the current Rotary year, from 2,941 to 2,959. Though that shows some growth, district membership is down 10 percent over that past 15 years. Given the population growth in the area, "We should be far ahead of that number," he said.

However, he noted that some growth initiatives during the past half-year have paid off. As many as five new clubs are being formed with meeting hours, locations and demographic appeal to people who aren't amenable to traditional breakfast and lunch meetings. They include a Haitian club, an Asian club and a cocktail hour club in Davidson. "We know we can do it… the demand is there," said Peera. "I believe there are tens of thousands of qualified potential Rotarians looking for community service and networking opportunities."

Peera lamented the fact that some clubs in the district aren't focused on membership, and are slowly dissolving as older, long-term members leave and no effort is made to reinvigorate the group with membership drives that focus on young people with new ideas and a passion for service.

Peera then turned the podium over to 2001-2002 RI President Rick King and his friend and associate Ken Boyd. During his presidency, King had appointed Boyd as his world chair of membership, and Rotary membership grew by 75,000 around the globe—the most successful growth spurt in recent history. Both men had flown in from California at the invitation of DG Peera specifically to attend the assembly.

King, a consummate entertainer and riveting speaker, used song, poetry, anecdotes and inspirational stories from his travels around the world on behalf of Rotary to enforce the importance of membership growth. King noted that new members are not only good for a club, but for the recruit as well. "Rotary creates more humanity in a member’s life, creates a more truly human man or woman," King said.

He noted that members do friends a favor by asking them to join. He said almost no longtime Rotarians remember who was district governor when they joined, or who was club president or RI president. But invariably they do remember who invited them to join Rotary. King cited 20 benefits of becoming a Rotarian, from leadership development to fun, to assistance when traveling to improved public speaking skills. "Why wouldn't anyone join?" he asked rhetorically. "Most American’s want to make a contribution in the community, but don’t join because we don’t do good job selling our brand."

He then yielded the floor to his former membership chair, Ken Boyd, who offered specific ideas on how to grow club membership. Boyd cited survey results showing that for every seven people invited to join Rotary, three do so. The problem, he said, is that further evidence shows that just 16 percent of Rotarians ever ask someone to join, and 84 percent never ask.

Boyd then got every person in the room to pledge to invite one prospective member to a meeting, and based on the number of people present, noted that simple act will yield about 60 new members.

Furthermore, Boyd announced monetary incentives designed to help grow membership before the district conference. The member who recruits district member 3,000 (just 41 members away) will receive $500. The member who recruits member 3,100 will receive $750. And the clubs that record the highest membership net growth and percentage growth by the district conference on April 29^th will receive a five night cruise for two people from Charleston to the Bahamas, a prize that can be used in any manner the club leadership finds useful.

In addition, several club presidents accepted Boyd’s challenge to win a cash prize of $1,000 for their club by committing their leadership team to set an example by personally recruiting 12 new members by April 29.

Boyd passed out a sheet of 20 suggestions for attracting new members. He insisted that incoming club presidents need to form a membership committee composed of the president and all top officers as one of their first acts. He noted that a good community service project is critical to club health. New ideas from members should be encouraged. And leaders need to constantly thank members for their service.

He noted that things won't always go well. Some members will be resentful. However, Boyd assured listeners that "If they're kicking you in the rear, you must be out front!" Finally, he said, "when you hit the wall, just find a way to move a little bit, and that'll get you going again."

The final speaker of the day was Tom Kincaid, president of the Kannapolis Rotary Club, who testified about the actions that have transformed that group from a moribund, dying group into a thriving dynamic assembly that has added 14 members so far this year. The club was so financially destitute that they couldn't afford red new member badges, and made do with red stick-on dots on regular badges.

Kincaid said the first step back from the brink was moving the meeting from an out of town country club to an in-town location. They also required all new members to recruit another member. Listening to member ideas has led the club to undertake relevant community service projects.

DG Peera announced that Rick King will also be the keynote speaker at the district conference, and urged members to come to that gathering with a long roster of new members. He concluded, "Each of us responsible for telling people why we love Rotary and what we get out of it. And, every idea is a good idea as long as it’s legal and passes the Four Way Test!"

Members and clubs that want help and advice with membership growth are invited to call district membership chair Chuck Sawicki at 704-334-8202.

The District 7680 Group Study Exchange team that will visit Turkey in May and June has been selected! Here are profiles of those who will be making the trip.

Team Leader Mary Staton is president of the Rotary Club of Charlotte-South. She is the CEO/CCO of Staton Financial Advisors, an equities portfolio management firm which she co-owns with her husband, Bill. Mary has a BS in journalism from the University of Florida and an MBA from Queens University. She and Bill co-authored the book Worry-Free Family Finances (McGraw-Hill). The couple has four children and one grandchild. She looks forward to seeing Istanbul and other sites as an adult, having lived in Istanbul and Ankara as a child. She is especially interested in the areas of cultural heritage, antiquities, food, women’s and family issues, and environmental sustainability.Mary’s hobbies include family/home activities, community service, reading, travel, gardening, hiking, and antiquing. Mary will have complete charge of the team and will act as liaison between the team and the host club.

 Sherell Fuller was nominated by the Rotary Club of Charlotte. She is employed by UNC Charlotte as a clinical assistant professor with responsibility for a course focused on multicultural education. She has a BA in English from George Mason University, and a master's and Ph.D. degree from the University of Virginia. Sherell is single and lives in Charlotte. She hopes to use what she learns on the Rotary trip to better prepare her students for the diverse world in which they will be teaching. Her hobbies are singing, playing piano, reading, and working in various ministries.

Katie Tobin was nominated by the Rotary Club of Charlotte. She is a vice president with Bank of America, employed in the Global Corporate Social Responsibility area. Katie has a BA from UNC Charlotte and an MLIS from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Katie and her husband, Marc Gray, live in Charlotte. In Turkey she hopes to be exposed to institutions that collect, preserves and provide access to cultural and historic information and artifacts. She also hopes to learn about environmental concerns and women’s issues. Her hobbies are writing, hiking, gardening, beekeeping, and environmental conservation.

Kathleen Zwally was nominated by the Rotary Club of Union-West. She is a sixth grade math teacher in the Union County Public Schools. Kathleen received her bachelor’s degree from Oakland University in Michigan, and just received her master’s degree from Wingate University. Kathleen and her husband, Jeff, live in Indian Trail. She hopes to have the opportunity to understand Turkey through the views of the people she meets, and to share her experiences with her students. Her hobbies are reading, being outdoors, and traveling.

Linnea Beyer was nominated by the Rotary Club of Charlotte. She is the Director of Film for The Light Factory, serving as chief curator of the film department. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. Linnea is single and lives in Charlotte. In Turkey she hopes to learn about Turkish cinema, and to share this knowledge with the Charlotte art community. Her hobbies are watching movies, cooking/baking, and reading.

Emily Vos, who was nominated by the Rotary Club of Charlotte, is an alternate member of the team who will travel if one of the other members of the trip must cancel. She has a bachelor's degree in marketing from St. Bonaventure University, an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology, and is working on a master's in integrated marketing communication. Emily works as a market research manager for Wells Fargo Bank. She is single and lives in Charlotte. In Turkey she hopes to gain international perspective for future career development. Her hobbies include: cooking, playing soccer, writing and traveling.

Howard “Biff” Virkler, a 15 year Rotary member nominated by the Rotary Club of Charlotte, will serve as the alternate team leader for the group in the event Mary Stanton is unable to continue. Biff  works as a chemical manufacturer, and has worked and traveled in Turkey on four occasions. He and his wife, Joanna, live on Lake Wylie and have six children and seven grand children. Biff has served on the board of many arts, charitable and business organizations. His hobbies are boating, skiing, singing, dancing, golf, hunting and fishing.

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The inaugural president of the new Rotary Club of Davidson is setting an example for Rotarians in leadership positions all over the district.

Though she’s just interim president until the club receives its charter, Natisha Rivera is making sure she’s up to speed on Rotary history and administration by attending all three Rotary Leadership Institutes. Read more...

Deborah Bowen, the district 7680 RLI chair, said that all club presidents are urged to prepare for their roles by attending RLI, but far too few actually do it. “We recommend that all presidents become RLI graduates before they go to Presidents Elect Training Seminar (PETS), and encourage club trainers and all other officers to attend so they can become more effective club leaders.”

Bown praised Rivera for “getting on board in a big way!” As soon as she was selected as the Davidson club’s first president, Rivera made plans to attend the three-part RLI. She took the first session in Duncan, S.C. in mid-November, and the second session less than a week later in High Point. She will complete her training at the RLI scheduled for Mooresville in February.

Bowen said RLI teaches techniques and skills that club leaders can use to increase membership, retention, and participation in projects, as well as reviewing Rotary history and administration.

“I want to be as well-informed as possible about anything I’m involved in,” said Rivera, who works as development director at the Ada Jenkins Community Center in Davidson. “Education is a lifelong process and you need to be open to it at all time. The material presented at RLI was good, and the experience of sharing it with other Rotarians was priceless.”

“I’m excited to be a part of Rotary,” she continued. “As an individual I can’t do much to solve world-wide problems, but what Rotary can do as a large organization is limitless.”

Rivera said the RLI sessions she attended included new Rotarians, and others who have been members for decades. “It wasn’t a lecture,” she emphasized. “It was very interactive, with a lot of discussion about club achievements and challenges. It was very useful to get an idea of issues that may arise in our new club.”

Rivera said the Davidson club now has 23 members, and expects to receive its charter before the end of the calendar year. The charter celebration is scheduled for Thursday evening, March 3, in Davidson College’s Lilly Family Gallery.

RLI sessions are open to all Rotarians, and cost $95 each. In general, clubs bear that cost for members who attend. For more information and a schedule of upcoming RLI sessions, visit www.RLI33.org

In recognition of Veteran’s Day, the ceremonies opened with two Rotary veterans of World War II posting the colors, and a thank you to Rotarian Kelly Morris for his leadership of the Flight of Honor program.

The focus of the evening was inspiring members to continue donations to the Foundation to support its goal of raising the $200 million needed to eradicate polio worldwide. District Governor Firoz Peers noted, “Rotary’s good works are possible only because of our hard work and exceptional generosity. Rotary saves lives, improves health, reduces poverty and brings dignity to those less fortunate than us.”